Method of treating hydrocarbons



Patented Aug. 9, 1927.

PATENT- ICE.

ALEXANDER IB. WAY, 01"

LYNN, SETTS, ASSIGNOR TO e PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

No Drawing.

a This invention relates to a method of treating hydrocabons todemulsifythe same and. generally improve their qualities.

This method constituting the subject 5 matter of the present inventionmay be employed in the treatment of hydrocarbons of numerous grades andof varying condition. Oils of the grades used in oil burners and thelike are especially subject to separation of their heavier componentswhen permitted to stand in; containers for storage or transportation, orin service tanks for supplying the fuel to the point of theircombustion. This separation usually results in the collection of aslime, comprising heavy sludge, separated carbon, or other relativelydense substances, at the bottom of the tank or container Such conditionresults in the loss of combustible material, and also in the foulin ofcleaning screens and meters during uti-ization of the oils. 1

Any oil when stored or transported tends to receive and form an emulsionwith water, 2 which may leak into the tank or container,

be absorbed from the moisture of the atmosphere, or enter the body ofthe oil at some preliminary stage during its production or treatment:Such emulsion tends to prevent the redissolution of heavier separatedcomponents of the oil, because of the formation of the minute globulesof the emulsion. The surface tension of such globules prevents theirbreaking up to rethe separated heavier components of the oil.

One object of the present invention is a hydrocarbon oil which reducesthe surface tension of the globules of any emulsion present, and permitsboth theremoval of the water of such emulsion and thereponents of theoil. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide a method which operates toproduce the above efi'ect wwithout invplving such application of heat asto raise the tempera ture of the oil to a point at which the loss of anyportion or components thereof takes place through distillation orcoking. Certain grades of oil, moreover, which lease the oil, andprevents redissolution of therefore to provide a method of treating adissolution of the separated heavier ."com-.

Application filed much 19, 1924. Serial No. 7ob,ssi.

are incapable of combustion in burners or the like because of theirthickness and lack of fluidity, may be rendered fluid and usable bytreatment according to the method of the present invention. Likewise theheaviest tars may be broken u by treatment according to such metho andrendered sufliciently fluid to permit their removal from storage tanksand containers.

Lubricating oils may be rendered more efiicient by treatment accordingto the meth- 0d of the invention. Such treatment diminishes itsviscositywithout a correspondmg decrease in density. Smaller quantitiesof an oil of given viscosity may'therefore be employed to provide anadequate lubricating film, and the life of the lubricant is increased.Cylinder oil for internal combustion engines, when so treated, causesless deposit of carbon than when untreated and has less tendencytothicken and gum in 'cold weather than untreated oil of equal lubricatingvalue but greater viscosity.

A specific formula for the material utilized in the treatment may begiven as follows: Naphthalene (C H by volume nitro-benzol (C H NO byvolume In this formula the na hthalene, which is a crystalline hydrocaron, absorbs the nitro-benzol, which. is in the condition of a heavy oil,and the more volatile alizarin, to produce a single and apparentlyhomogeneous .material.

Such solid mixture may be desirably in divided form. 'lov secure suchform the naphthalene is preferably cut and screened, and a portionthereof further granulated prior to the .incorpoation of the nito-bem,

In practice it is found convenient to use approximately seventy-fiveparts'of the flake naphthalene to twenty-five. parts of the granulatednaphthalene.

If the mixture is to be emp duce the breaking up and redissolution of aheavy slime, such as sludge or tar, such sediment is firstcovered with arelatively large volume of oilin fluid condition and thetreatingniixture added to this initial loyed to prohydrocarbon mixture.With such. initial hydrocarbon the treating material is preferably addedin al'qu'antity of from 0.5

pounds to 1.5 pounds to each -500 gallons of the mixture of sediment andoil. This mass, consisting of the sediment, oil, and. treating mixtureis subjected to gentle heating, and maintained at a temperature of fromone hundred degrees Fahrenheit to two hundred degrees Fahrenheit for aperiod of from one hour to eighteen hours.

The duration of the treatment depends upon the nature of the initialhydrocarbon to be treated, the rate of dispersion of the of sedimentassociated therewith is to be accordance With the work to be done.

treated simply to demulsify such oil and to enerally improve itsqualities, the genera nature of the treatment is identical with thatgiven above. In such case, however, a single charge of the mixture isgenerally suflicient to produce the desired result, The quantity of themixture with relation to the volume of the initial. hydrocarbon to betreated may also be greatly reduced.

In either of the cases noted above, water separated by thevdemulsificat'ion of the oil is drawn oif prior to use of the oil.

If an oil is to be treated to generally improve its qualities, withoutthe necessity for demulsification of such oil, the quantity of themixture employed may be still further reduced.

Not only the quantity of the mixture employed, but also the relativeproportions of naphthalene in its physical properties, may be used totake the place of the latter.

As an equivalent for the nitro-benzol, another nitro compound ofthearomatic series of hydrocarbons, such as nitro-toluol (C l-I CH NO maybe employed.

' \Vhereas these alternative substances serve to impart the desireduseful properties to the mixture, the substances included in the formulagiven above are preferred because of the fact that they are in morecommon use or because of the fact that they are more readily produced ona commercial scale.

It is also possible to employ nitro-naphthalene or nitro-anthracene,which are themselves nitro compounds of hydrocarbons derived from thesame source as the aromatic series of hydrocarbons, mainly from thedistillation of coal. These compounds may either one be used with eitherthe nitrobenzol or nitro-toluol of the formula.

Favorable, though less satisfactory, results have been obtained by usingeither nitro-naphthalene or nitro-anthracene alone.

Benzaldehyde may be used to replace the nitro-benzol or nitro-toluol,though not with wholly satisfactory results. Oil of bitter almonds(mirbane) may also be similarl used. It should be. noted that this oithough f an essential oil of vegetable origin, closely resemblesnitro-benzol both in chemi cal structure and in characteristics.

It will be seen from the above that the particular substances noted inthe formula,

as well as the relative proportions of such 'substances, may be variedwithin the sccpe of the disclosure and the appended clalms,

without departing from the spirit of the its ingredients, may bedesirably varied in Thus for the breaking up of heavy tars, to increasetheir fluidity, one pound of the mixture is preferably added for eachtwo hundred and fifty to three, hundred gallons of the tar;

and the nitro-benzol content may be in creased to as much as ten percent by volume of the entire mixture.

To consider the different ingredients of the mixture, the nitro-benzol(or its equivalent) performs the chief active function in breaking downthe globules of an emulsion,

and diminishing the viscosity of a body of a hydrocarbon. Thenaphthalene (or its equivalent) assists to some extent in performingthese functions, and also serves as aconvenient carrier for the otheringredients, whereby they may be conveniently stored and transported andmay be distrib-' uted through the hydrocarbon body to be treated. 4

'As to equivalent, or substitute, substances in the mixture, anthracene(C H which is a crystalline hydrocarbon resembling present invention. i

' It is also to be noted that all substances noted are organiccompounds. When used for the treatment of hydrocarbons, they thereforeleave no incombustible residue as do inorganlc treating materials suchas" aluminum chloride, and the like.

What I claim is: j

1.. The process of treating hydrocarbons to demulsify the samev andincrease their fluidity which consists in subjecting the initialhydrocarbon to the action of a mixture of naphthalene and nitro;benzo1in solid state and divided form.

2. The process of treating hydrocarbons to demulsify the same andincrease their fluidity which consists in subjecting the initialhydrocarbon to the action of a mixture of naphthalene and nitro-benzolin solid state and divided form, and subjecting the mass to the actionof heat.

The process of treating hydrocarbons to demulsify the same and increasetheir fluidity which consists in subjecting the initial hydrocarbon tothe action of a mixture of naphthalene and nitro-benzol in solid stateand divided form, and subjecting the to demulslfy the same and increasetheir h demulsi initial hydrocarbon to the action of an added mass tothe action of heat at a temperature not in excess of two hundred degreesFahrenheit.

4. The process of treating hydrocarbon oils to demulsify the same andincrease their fluidity which consists in subjecting the initialhydrocarbon to the action of a mixture including a crystalline aromatichydrocarbon and nitro-benzol, said mixture being in solid state anddivided form.

5. The process of treating hydrocarbon oils to demulsify the same andincrease their fluidity which consists in subjecting the initialhydrocarbon to the action of a mixture includin a crytalline aromatichydrocarbon and n tro-benzol, and subjecting the mass to the action ofheat at a temperature no higher than two hundred degrees Fahrenheit.

6. The process of treating hydrocarbons to demulsi the same and increasetheir fluidity which consists in subjecting the initial hydrocarbon tothe action of an added mixture including a crystalline aromatichydrocarbon serving as a carrier, and a nltrated hydrocarbon having nomore than -moderate explosive properties absorbed by said crystallinehydrocarbon.

7. 'The process of treating hydrocarbons to the same and increase theirfluidity WllICh consists in subjecting the initial hydrocarbon to theaction of an added mixture includin naphthalene as a carrier, and

avnitrated hy rocarbon having no more than moderate explosive propertiesabsorbed by said naphthalene. v

8. The rocess of treatingvhydrocarbons fluidity, which consists insubjecting the mixture including a crystalline aromatic hydrocarbonserving as a carrier, and a nitra'ted hydrocarbon having no more thanmoderate explosive properties absorbed by said crystalline hydrocarbon,said mixture being in divided form..-

9. The process of treating hydrocarbons to demulsify the same andincrease their fluidity, which consists in subjecting the initialhydrocarbon to the action of an added mixture including naphthalene asacarrier,

" t and 0. nitro compound of a hydrocarbon ture no higher than twohundred degrees Fahrenheit.

11. The process of treating hydrocarbons to demulsify the same andincrease their fluidity, which consists in subjecting the initialhydrocarbon to the action of an added mixture including naphthalene as acarrier, and a nitrated hydrocarbon having no more than moderateexplosive properties absorbed by said naphthalene, and subjecting themass to the efi'ect of heat at a temperature no higher than two hundreddegrees Fahrenheit.

12. Theprocess of treating hydrocarbons to demulsify the same andincrease their fluidity, which consists in subjecting the initialhydrocarbon to the action of an added mixture including a crystallinearomatic hydrocarbon serving as as carrier, and a mtrated hydrocarbonhaving no more than moderate explosive properties, said mixture being individed form; and subjecting the mass to the effect of heat at atemperature no higher-than two hundred degrees Fahreneit. z

13. The process of treating hydrocarbons to demulsify the same andincrease tlieir fluidity, which consists iii subjecting the initialhydrocarbon to the action of an added mixture including naphthalene as acarrier, and a nitrated hydrocarbon having no more than moderateexplosive properties absorbed I I by said naphthalene, said mixturebeing in divided form; and subjecting the mass to the efi'ect of heat ata temperature no higher than two hundred de ees Fahrenheit;

In witness w ereof, I hereunto set my hand. I

ALEXANDERBWAY Y

